Fruit clipper



Sept. 17, 1946. w. o'. mama FRUIT CLIPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1944 W. O. THOMAS FRUIT CLIPPER Sept, 17, 1946.

Filed Feb. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gw mm WQT/wmas Patented Sept. 17,1946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I r "2,407,803 g a a FRUIT Curran WalterQ; Thomas, Winter Park, Flag 'assisl ort by decree of distribution, to CarrieD'. Thomas V and W. Maureen Thomas I p a l ApplieationEebruary 2,1944, Serial No. 520,789 p p picker.

It is particularly aimed to provide a novel.construction which will supplant and avoid theexpense and trouble incident to' theuse of ladders and which will at. the same time. prove more expeditious and enableop'erat ion with less fatigue and particularly troubles of the arches of the feet experienced by standing on ladder rungs.

A particular object is to provide the novel structure wherein th entrance to the chute employed will be moved relatively close to the fruit during the act ofpicking or cutting the fruit to minimize danger of loss or failure to passt'nrough the chute.

In addition it is aimed to provide ainovelcon: struction manually operable through levers iaind linkage, which is simple, inexpensive and durable.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with ac companying drawing illustrating an operative embodiment. a

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a View of the picker in rear elevation;

Figure 2 is a view of the picker in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a iew of the picker in side elevation, fragmentarily showing the use of an extension for the handle of the picker, certain parts being shown in section to dis-close details;

Figure 4 i a cross-sectional view taken on the line l4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 55 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 66 of Figure-2.

Referring specifically to the drawings, numeral ii! denotes a handle or staff of any desired length, adapted to support a tubular chute l l, which may he of canvas or other suitable material. This chute is preferably open at its top and bottom ends so that picked fruit will fall therethrough and due to friction against the insid of the chute, the fruit will be retarded in its descent and thus not become damaged when it strikes into a receptacle or other fruit at the discharge end of the chute.

At the upper edge, chute H is fastened to a ring l2 which is a lever since it has an arm I3 pivoted by means of a bolt or otherwise at M to the upper end of the staff at Ill.

Below the ring I2, a positioning ring 5 is anchored by means of a lug l6 to the staff I ll. Chute H passes through ring l5 and has flexible loops at I! overlapping it.

' 4 Claims. (01. 56336) Thi invention, relates to a fruit clipper or The fruit: being harvested adapted, to, have itsrstem cut through ,the coaction of a'fixed cutter blade l8 and a movable cutter bladets pivoted Editor such, fixed cutter blades Thelatter is ed es h' meansiof c w Z to .thellp e' end of staif l0 and it extends upwar'dlyand'forward y with es ect th t e "T egcutt r b de I sharpened as at,, 22.

lBJis shaped simliarly to that. at l8anfd as both are, arcuate, .as shown, "they extend 'over the rin i2 and .entrancle tothe chute ILfThe meeting edges of {the blades l8 and I9 are preferably A crosslever 23' is pivoted at 24 to the rear surface of the staff Ill and arm l3'has anextension or crank 25 which passes throughan opening 26 in thfefcros's lever. A relativelyjshort link 2'! is pivotally'connected at 28 to the blade l9 and at 29 to the cross 1ever23. The parts ar normally held in the position shown in Figure 1,"

with the cutting edges of the blades slightly separated, through the action of a .coil spring 29a fastened tqjthe bolt or pivot 29 and to a staple 3t securedto'the staff LID,

In order to manually perate the parts, a rod or link 3!, slidable through a guide 3lb, is D votment with a stop 34 on the latter, through they contractile action of spring 29. A handle 35 is preferably provided on the lever 32.

In operation, the parts in the position shown in Figure 1, are arranged so that the stem of the fruit to be picked or harvested is between the blades l8 and I9 and in line with the ring l2. Handle 35' is thereupon moved away from the chute ll, causing link 3! to tilt the cross lever 23 and such cross lever 23 due to its connection with the crank 25, and with the cutter l9, simultaneously moves the ring closer to the cutters I3 spaced sufliciently for effective engagement with the fruit and during the act of cutting the fruit moving into cutting position, the mouth or entrance of the chute and ring l2 are arranged closer to the fruit so that passage of the latter through the chute H is assured.

In some instances, as in picking unusually high fruits, I may provide an extension on the staff Ill as shown at in Figure 3. This staff may have a sleeve 4| fastened at the top as at 42 and extending slightly beyond it, so as to form a socket for reception of the lower end of the staff 10. It will be noted that the latter has a hole 43 there- 3 through, to accommodate a detachable bolt 44 which secures the holder 4| and staff In to ether. The part 3la may be a bolt and a rod or link 45 is detachably fastened to it and to a supplemental actuating lever 46 as by means of a bolt at 41.

Thissupplemental actuating lever 46 and associated parts function like that at 32, and it is pivoted at 48 to the extension 40 and urged against an abutment 49 by the action of the aforesaid spring 29. Also, a handle 50 may extend from the supplemental actuating lever 46 to function like that at 35.

50 will effect the same result as the manipulation of the handle 35.

It will be understood that in operating these parts, manipulation of the handle,

Various changes may be resorted to provided 7 they fall within the spirit and scope of vention. I I claim as my invention: 4 1. A fruit pickercomprising a staff, a fruit receiver supported by the staff and provided with a the inpivotal member at its receiving end'for holding said end of the receiver open, said pivotal member being providedwith a crank arm extending outwardly from its pivot point, a cutter on the fruit-opposing end of IthestaIT comprising a stationary blade and a pivotal blade, a rocker supported by the stafi 'andrformed with an opening for receiving thecrank' arm atone side of the fulcum point of said rocker, a connection between the distal end of the rocker and the pivotal blade, a hand lever on the stafi and a connection between the handlever and the remaining end of the rocker. t V

2. A fruit picker comprising a staff, a fruit receiver supported by the staff and provided with a pivotal member at its receiving end for holding said end of the receiver open, said pivotal member being provided with a crank arm extending outwardly from its pivot point, a cutter on the fruit opposing end of the staff comprising a'stationary blade and a pivotal blade, a rocker, supported by the stafi and formed with an opening for receiving the crank arm at one side of the fulcrum point of said rocker, a connection between the distal end of the rocker and the pivotal blade, a hand lever on the staff and a connection between the hand lever and the remaining end of the rocker, said connection between the rocker and the pivotal blade-being in the iormof a pivotal link.

3; A fruit picker comprising a 'stafi, a fruit receiver supported by the staff and provided with a pivotal member at its receiving end for holding said end of the receiver open, said pivotal member being provided with a'crank arm extending outwardly from its pivot point, a cutter on the fruit opposing end of the staff comprising a stationary blade and a pivotal blade, a rocker supported by the stafi and formed with an opening for receiving the crank arm at one side of the fulcrum point of said rocker, a connection between the distal end of the rocker and the piv-' otal blade, a. hand lever on the stafi and a connection between the hand lever and the remaining end of the, rocker, said connection between the rocker and the pivotal blade being in the form of a pivotal link, said blade being curved inwardly over the adjacent end of the receiver.

4. A'fruit picker comprising a staff a' fruit receiver supported by the stafl and provided'with a pivotal member at'its receiving end for holding said end of the receiver open, said pivotal member being provided with a crank arm extending outwardly Irom its pivot point,-a cutter on the fruit opposing end of the staff comprising a stationary blade and a pivotal blade, a rocker supported by the staff and formed with an opening for receiving the crank arm at one side of the fulcrum point 'of said rocker, a connection between the distal end of the rocker and the pivotal blade, a-hand lever on the stall and a connection between the hand lever and the remaining end of the rocker, said crank arm being curved upwardly at its free end.

WALTER o. THOMAS. 

